To quote dialogue, put the spoken words in double quotation marks and cite the author and page number. If a character’s speech already appears inside a passage you’re quoting, change those inner double marks to single marks. For dialogue between two or more speakers, set it off as a block quotation.
The rules change depending on how much dialogue you quote and whether the source labels its speakers. Here is each case.
How do you quote a single line of dialogue?
For a short quotation — four typed lines or fewer — keep it in your sentence and wrap it in double quotation marks, followed by an in-text citation.
Gatsby’s optimism shows when he insists, “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!” (Fitzgerald 110).
The period goes after the citation, not inside the quotation marks. This is the standard format for any short quote; the fact that it’s spoken dialogue doesn’t change it. For the general rules, see how to quote in MLA.
How do you quote dialogue that contains a quote?
When the passage you’re quoting includes both narration and a character speaking, use double quotation marks around the whole passage and single quotation marks around the character’s words.
The narrator recalls the moment plainly: “She turned to me and said, ‘I never meant for any of it to happen,’ then left the room.”
The switch from double to single marks tells the reader exactly which words were spoken inside the passage you lifted. When you quote only the spoken words and none of the narration, plain double quotation marks are enough.
How do you quote dialogue between two characters?
When two or more characters speak and you want to show the exchange, format it as a block quotation. Start each character’s speech on a new line, indented half an inch from the left margin. Don’t add quotation marks around a block quote — the indentation signals the quotation.
Block quotes follow the same mechanics whatever the content; the details of length and indentation are covered in how to block quote. The one dialogue-specific point: keep each speaker’s turn on its own line so the back-and-forth is clear.
How do you quote dialogue from a play?
Plays label their speakers, so the format is different. Begin each part with the character’s name in all capital letters, indented half an inch, followed by a period. Then give the speech. Start a new indented line each time the speaker changes.
Cite by act, scene, and line numbers rather than a page number. Because drama has its own conventions, the full method is in how to quote a play.
How do you introduce quoted dialogue?
Lead into a quotation with a signal phrase or a colon, not a bare dropped quote. “As Elizabeth admits, …” or “The exchange turns sharp: …” give the reader context before the words arrive. Weaving the quote into your own sentence, rather than pasting it in on its own, is the mark of clean integration — more on that in how to integrate quotes.
FAQ
Do you use single or double quotes for dialogue in an essay?
Double quotation marks for the dialogue itself. Use single marks only for a quote inside the quote — a character speaking within a passage you’re already quoting.
How do you quote dialogue longer than four lines?
Set it as a block quotation: indent half an inch, drop the quotation marks, and start each speaker on a new line. Place the citation after the final punctuation.
How do you cite dialogue from a novel in MLA?
Give the author’s last name and the page number in parentheses after the quote — for example, (Fitzgerald 110). The period follows the parenthesis.
How do you quote dialogue from a movie or script?
Treat it like a play: put the speaker’s name in capitals, start each new speaker on an indented line, and cite the source in your Works Cited. For screen sources you cite the film, not a page number.
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